Return of Rowen
by Rowen
Summary: A continuation of Aurora's 'A Simple Wish'... Rowen's wish hasn't come true. It's merely a Dynasty trick to steal his new armor.
1. Chapter 1

Return of Rowen

Author's Notes

by Rowen

Motivation 

I decided to write this story after reading Aurora's 'A Simple Wish'. I thought that it was an excellent story. However, I did not like the ending, especially since Rowen is my favorite character. At the time, I was trying to come up with an idea for my first fan fiction. I decided that the end of Aurora's story would be a perfect place to start. I reread the story a few times to find a way to connect mine to hers. Eventually I found one. In 'A Simple Wish' Rowen's mother is abusing him (verbally for the most part), and Rowen makes the wish that he could have the family life that he has always wanted. However, this wish costs him his friends, health, and armor. Rowen still has his memories. This is where my story comes in. I found it interesting that Rowen still had remembered Ryo, Kento, Cye, and Sage, even though everything else was gone. For me this fact was the basis of my story. I then had to choose between two story lines. One in which everything turns out to be an illusion created by the Dynasty, and another in which losing his friends and armor was temporary(I may publish another continuation based on this idea in the future). As you know, the first story line won and here we are. 

General Notes 

I have tried to stick to facts, parts of the Ronin Warriors/YST story. In other words, you will not see a slew of new characters or changes in the history of the characters.  There are only three places I have taken a liberty of changing the original story. First, I have introduced a new character as the ruler of the Dynasty. Second, I have delayed the capture of Kayura by Talpa to until she is 15(I remember reading somewhere she was taken from the village when she was 8). The purpose of this is to facilitate a flashback which will occur near the end of the story. Third, Rowen and Kayura are going to be a couple in my story. Other people have used this and I liked it, so that's what is going to happen in my story. That's all I have to say right now

Rowen (Paul) 

Return of Rowen

Chapter 1

by Paul Endres

My story starts immediately after A Simple Wish (which was written by Aurora). I didn't like the way it ended, so I wrote my own continuation of it. Basically it turns out that

the Dynasty is behind everything and is trying to make Rowen evil. 

As a tear rolled down Rowen's cheek, images of his friends flooded his mind... 

[flashback] 

A quiet afternoon at Mia's house. Rowen is reading from a physics book when Kento bursts in. 

"Hey Rowen! Are you going to finish those crackers? I'll eat them if you don't want them. Wouldn't want good food to go to waste. Besides, I'm starving!" exclaimed Kento. 

"You can have them," said Rowen. 

"Thanks, man," was his friend's reply... 

[end of flashback] 

"Kento," thought Rowen sadly... 

[another flashback begins] 

The scene is the cafeteria of a school. It is his first day at this school after his parents' divorce. 

"Do you mind if I sit here?" asked a friendly voice as Rowen quietly ate his lunch. 

"Go ahead," replied Rowen with as smile as he looked up. 

"I thought you'd like some company. My name's Cye," said Cye. 

"I'm Rowen," said Rowen as he extended a hand to Cye. 

"The school genius," marveled Cye as he shook his hand. 

"It's not always a blessing. A lot of kids are envious of me. At my old school I got teased a lot," he said bitterly. 

"Things will be different here. I'll be your friend Rowen," said Cye. 

"Thanks," said Rowen... 

[end of flashback] 

"Cye!" he cried to himself... 

[another flashback] 

"I'll never give in to the Dynasty!" yelled Ryo as he lunged toward Sekhmet. 

"We shall see Ryo of the Wildfire! Snake Fangs Strike!" countered the dark warlord of Venom. 

"Uh!" groaned Ryo as he dodged the attack. 

"Quake With Fear!" shouted Anubis. Ryo gasped as he saw the kursari gama flying toward his head. He closed his eyes to brace for the attack, but it never came. Ryo opened

his eyes as he heard Anubis cry out in pain. 

"Why you!" growled the warlord of Cruelty. Ryo looked up to see Rowen, his crossbow still smoking from his attack. 

"Rowen! I knew I could count on you," smiled Ryo. 

"Just doing my job," said Rowen modestly. 

"Oh Rowen, You're the best!" said Ryo... 

[end of flashback] 

"I'm sorry Ryo. I can't help you any more," thought Rowen... 

[another flashback] 

"What's the matter Rowen?" asked Sage, as he watched his friend sitting in a chair dejectedly. 

"Oh nothing," he replied. 

"You can tell me," assured his friend. 

"It's nothing really," insisted Rowen, but the quivering tone of his voice gave him away. Sage got up from his desk and moved closer to him and looked into Rowen's eyes. He

could see the anguish and sadness. He put his hand comfortingly on Rowen's shoulder and his friend began to cry. 

"Things at home," started Sage. Rowen nodded. 

"It's not your fault Rowen. You've got to remember that," he continued. 

"Why? Why me? Is it too much to ask to have a mother who loves me? Sometimes I feel like ending it all!" cried Rowen. Then it all came out- the fights, the abuse both

physical and verbal. 

"Rowen, I'm sorry. I knew things were bad, but I didn't know things had come to this. I'll do everything I can do to help. I promise," said Sage. 

"Thank you Sage. You're the best friend I've ever had," said Rowen. "And you Rowen, are the best friend I've ever had," said Sage... 

[end of flashback] 

"Sage! I miss you so much!" cried Rowen, his tears now coming out in a steady stream. Suddenly he rose up from his pillow. "Wait a minute. If my wish came true, why do I

still have memories of my friends? It doesn't make sense! All other mementos of my friendships with the guys were lost, but not my memories. Why? I wonder why mom doesn't

remember them," thought Rowen as he started to get out of his bed. Then, his eye met the telephone. 

"I have another idea," he thought to himself. He picked up the phone and dialed Sage's number. "Date residence. How may I help you?" asked a business-like tone. "Hello

Mrs. Date! It's me Rowen. May I speak with Sage?" said Rowen. 

"Why hello there Rowen! How are you doing?" asked Mrs. Date her voice changing into the warm tone reserved for friends and family. "I'm feeling a lot better," said Rowen. 

"That's good to hear. Now, I'll get Sage for you," she said. 

"This is really weird," thought Rowen, "How come Sage's mom remembers me?" 

"Hello?" said Sage. 

"Sage, it's me," replied Rowen. 

"Rowen! What's up? Mom says you're feeling better. That's great to hear," said Sage. 

"Thanks. Listen, some really weird things have been going on ever since I got out of the hospital," said Rowen. 

"Like what? Is it the dynasty?" asked Sage in a very concerned voice. 

"Well, I don't even remember leaving the hospital, but all of a sudden I was at home. My mom said that I had forgotten my inhaler and that I passed out on my way home from

school. Then she said that I should walk home from school with my friends. I told her that you walk with me, but she didn't know who you were," said Rowen. 

"You mean, you're not calling me from the hospital?" asked Sage. "No, but that's not the end of it. The house is totally different too. It's like before my parents got divorced.

My tennis trophies are gone too. All of my pictures of you guys are gone too. To make things worse, my armor is gone" he explained. 

"But how?" wondered Sage. 

"I don't know. What really baffles me is that all traces of my association with my armor or you guys have all been wiped out- except for my memories," he continued. 

"Let's get the guys together and talk this over," said Sage. 

"I'm with you," agreed Rowen. 

"I'll be over in a few minutes," said Sage. 

"Great! Well until then, goodbye my friend," said Rowen as he hung up the phone. Rowen lay back on his bed and quietly pondered all that had happened since the night he

spent at Sage's house. "Let's see. Now after Sage's mom left those attacks came. I passed out and woke up in a hospital. Then, mom and dad visited me. They started fighting

and the pain I felt," shuddered Rowen as he pulled a navy blue blanket over his muscular shoulders. 

"Rowen?" called Mrs. Hashiba as she gently knocked on his bedroom door. 

"Yes, mom?" he replied. 

"Somebody's here to see you- a friend!" she said warmly. 

"He can come in," said Rowen. The door slowly opened and in walked Sage. 

"Rowen, I've been so worried about you. It's good to see you're doing fine," said Sage. 

"I'm glad you came," said Rowen. 

"Have you had any more of those attacks?" asked Sage. 

"No..." started Rowen. 

"Do you feel that?" he broke off suddenly. 

"Feel what?" asked his best friend. 

"That, tha..." gasped Rowen. Everything was becoming black and he felt as if the darkness would swallow him. "Sage!" yelled Rowen, but his friend was gone. As Rowen lost consciousness, he heard a sinister laugh. 


	2. Chapter 2

Return of Rowen

Chapter 2

by Rowen

"Wake up Yuli! It's time to visit Rowen," said Mia as she turned her jeep into the parking garage of Toyoma General Hospital. 

"What?" asked Yuli groggily as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. 

"We're at the hospital, Yuli. We came to see Rowen. You remember don't you?" said Cye. 

"Of course I remember, Cye. I'm sure Rowen's feeling better!" exclaimed Yuli. His enthusiasm drew a loud sigh from Sage. 

"What's wrong, Sage?" asked Cye. 

"Nothing," replied Sage glumly, but his response was far from the truth. The last four days had been hell for him. Although Rowen's condition had greatly improved, Sage's

heart was burdened by feelings of guilt, worry, and anguish. "Why didn't I notice it before? And how could I have let the suffering he faced at home go on for so long? I'll never

forgive myself if anything happens to you Rowen," thought Sage as he stepped out of Mia's jeep. 

"Rowen's going to be okay," said Cye comfortingly as he noticed the glum look on his friend's face. Sage nodded and forced a small smile as he tried to keep the tears from

falling from his violet eyes. 

"Hey there's Ryo and Kento!" said Yuli jubilantly as he watched the warriors of Wildfire and Hardrock get off a bus. 

"Let's join them," said Mia as she led the way to the elevator. 

"Mia! Cye! Sage! Over here!" called Ryo as he saw them emerging from the garage. 

"Ryo!" shouted Yuli as he ran over to the bench Ryo was sitting on. 

"Don't forget about me, Yuli!" said Kento. 

"How could I forget about you Kento? You're my friend too!" said Yuli. 

"Let's go in," said Cye as everyone gathered around Ryo and Kento. 

"Welcome to Toyoma General Hospital! My name is Kyoko, how may I help you?" asked a young dark-haired woman as they arrived at the front desk. 

"We would like to visit a friend," replied Mia. 

"Name, please?" requested Kyoko. 

"Rowen Hashiba," answered Mia. 

"One moment please," said the receptionist as she typed several commands into her computer. A puzzled expression crossed her face a few seconds later. "That's strange,"

muttered Kyoko as she reentered the commands. "Released, without doctor's consent?" 

"Is there a problem?" asked Mia worriedly. 

"Maybe, just give me a few minutes to see if I can get things sorted out," replied Kyoko as she began searching through the files on her desk. "His file's not here! I don't believe

it!" she said to herself as she picked up a phone and dialed a number. "Hello, Setsuna? I'm missing the file of a patient. His name is Rowen Hashiba." "You have it? Great- is

there any information regarding his release. No? His parents visited him? Yes, I know that. Then, he should still be in his room? Is it okay if some of his friends visit him? "Yes?

Excellent! I'll tell them. Thank you so much Setsuna, Bye!" she continued after a pause. 

"So what's going on? Can we see Rowen?" demanded Ryo. 

"I'm sorry for the delay, but there was some mix-up involving your friend's records, but I think everything is straightened out now. You may visit your friend," said Kyoko with

a smile. 

"All right!" exclaimed Yuli as they headed for towards an elevator. 

"What do you mean he was released from the hospital? We were told that he was still here," said Ryo. 

"His parents asked for him to be released when they visited this morning," answered the nurse. 

"But the doctor said that Rowen needed to be kept in the hospital for three more days so his condition could be monitored!" protested Kento. 

"Something's not right. Rowen's parents would never do a thing like that. They would want Rowen to stay in the hospital, even if it is because they don't want him around,"

thought Sage. 

"I'm sorry, but... Hey stay out of those files young man!" ordered the nurse suddenly. The others turned to find Sage digging through a pile of folders. 

"Sage, what are you doing?" asked Cye. 

"Young man if you don't stop I am going to have to call security!" shrieked the nurse as Sage opened up a blue folder and began reading the contents. 

Sage ignored the nurse's threats, looked her in the eye and asked, "How did this happen?" 

"How did what happen?" she asked angrily. 

"This," replied Sage calmly his finger pointing to a blank line on the bottom of a document. 

"I don't believe it. Nobody ever signed this release form. How?" said the nurse dumbfoundedly. 

"I suggest you find out," said Sage icily as he thrust the file into her hands and stormed out of the ward. 

"Sage! Wait up!" cried the others as they caught a glimpse of Sage heading down the stairs. 

"Come on! We've got to catch up to him!" said Ryo. 

"Excuse me miss," said Sage breathlessly as he reached the front desk. "Can you... answer... a few questions... for me?" 

"Sure. Did you get to see your friend?" asked Kyoko. 

"No... He... he's gone!" stammered Sage. "But how?" she inquired. "When we reached the ward, the nurse told us that he was released that morning upon his parents' request.

You saw his parents right?" he continued. 

"Yes, bu..."started Kyoko. 

"I need to know a few things. What did they look like?" interrupted Sage before Kyoko had a chance to finish her reply. 

"Well his father was a little shorter than you. He had blue hair and I... I can't put my finger on it, but..." Kyoko's voice trailed off. 

"But what?" urged Sage. 

"He seemed to be in a trance. His eyes were glazed over," she continued. 

"Oh no! I've got a bad feeling about this," thought Sage. 

"Anything else you can tell me?" he asked. 

"Well I... I got the chills from being around that man. Something just didn't feel right. Even though he only stopped by for a second to ask to see your friend, I felt so

uncomfortable being with him," finished Kyoko. 

"And his mother?" asked Sage. 

"The same thing, it was rea..." 

"There he is!" said Cye as they entered the lobby of the hospital. 

"Sage, what are you doing? Why'd you run out on us like that?" asked Ryo. 

"Rowen's in trouble. We have to act fast! I'll explain in the car," said Sage as he pushed the others towards the exit. 

"All right Sage, here we are. Now tell us what's going on," said Mia as group piled into Mia's jeep. 

"From what the receptionist told me, I think Rowen's in serious danger, and I think the Dynasty's behind all of this," he began. 

"Very perceptive Sage of Halo. Unfortunately it is too late for you to save your friend from the clutches of the Dynasty," boomed a dark voice who had been watching the turn

of events from the Nether Realm... 

"Master Talpa will be very pleased," said Dais as he transformed from the guise of Sage to his true form. "You too have done well, Nether Spirits. Lord Badamon will be

pleased," he continued, addressing the possessed body of Mrs. Hashiba. "Ronin Warriors, you are finished!" gloated the Dark Warlord of Illusion as he carried Rowen into the

Nether World. 

"Master Talpa, I have done as you have asked. Here is Rowen of the Strata," said Dais triumphantly as he appeared before his commander. "Dais you fool! You almost ruined

everything! I ordered you to wipe out Strata's memories as well, but you failed. He figured out our plan. Your little magic show wouldn't have worked without my intervention

and you dare call yourself the Warlord of Illusion!" growled Talpa. 

"I am sorry master. I will do better next time," said Dais as he cowered before his master. 

"If there is a next time!" bellowed Talpa as he disappeared from the room with Rowen. 

"My lord, Rowen of the Strata has been captured," said Talpa as he bowed before his master. 

"Excellent! With Strata on our side, I shall defeat the Ronin Warriors," proclaimed a voice from the shadows. 

"But how will you turn him to the Dynasty? We have never succeeded in breaking a Ronin Warrior's loyalty to his friends," said Talpa. 

"We!? I think not! It is you who have failed. I will succeed," boomed the voice. As the echo from the voice died away, quiet chanting could be heard in the chamber. Rowen's

body appeared, floating in mid-air. His kanji sign appeared on his forehead in a brilliant blood red. Talpa watched as a black shroud covered the warrior. With a flash of blue

light, Rowen reappeared in his armor. 

"Welcome Rowen of the Strata. You may begin your mission," greeted the voice. "Thank you my lord. I will not fail you," said Rowen as he disappeared from the room. 

When Rowen had gone, Talpa asked, "If I may ask, master, why Rowen of the Strata?" 

"Do you question me Talpa? I have not made a foolish choice. Rowen of the Strata possesses great cunning in addition to the power of his armor," answered the voice. 

"But surely, his armor does not possess the power of the Armor of Inferno," said Talpa. 

"Fool! Rowen of the Strata possesses power beyond your comprehension. I have just begun to tap his tremendous power. The Ronin Warriors are finished," the voice roared

triumphantly. 


	3. Chapter 3

Return of Rowen

Chapter 3

by Rowen

"Drive to Rowen's house," said Sage as he buckled his seat belt. 

"All right, but you still have to tell us what the receptionist told you," said Mia as she backed the jeep out of the parking space. 

"It was about his parents," he began hesitantly. 

"Sage, you've got to tell us what you heard. It's the only way we can help Rowen," urged Ryo. 

Sage let out a deep sigh, and said, "Well, she said his parents appeared to be in a trance, and seemed to have this bad aura," 

"Bad aura?" wondered Kento out loud. 

"Yeah. That would be the best way to put it. She just felt uncomfortable being with them," finished Sage. 

"Grandfather!" burst Mia. 

"What?" asked the others together. 

"When the Nether Spirits possessed my grandfather, that's exactly how he was! You remember, right Ryo? You were there too, Yuli!" she continued. 

"Hey you're right, Mia!" exclaimed Yuli. 

"Then the Dynasty is at it again," concluded Ryo. 

"Mia, does this mean that Rowen's parents are going to d... d?" asked Yuli, unable to utter the last word of his question as he remembered the fate his family had nearly

suffered. 

"That would be a big loss," grumbled Kento under his breath, but the others heard him. 

"Kento!" they shouted in unison. 

"Sorry guys. It's just hard for me to care about Rowen's parents after seeing how much they've hurt him," apologized Kento. 

"I know what you mean, Kento, but we've got to save Rowen's parents. It's what he would want. Right Sage?" asked Cye. 

"Right," answered Sage as he turned away to hide the tears forming in his eyes. "Rowen, where are you? What have they done to you?" thought Sage as Mia's jeep sped down

the expressway. He looked into the darkening sky, saw a star and remembered... remembered how simple, yet special their friendship used to be. No worries about the

Dynasty, just enjoying each other's company... 

[flashback] 

Six years ago, the playground of Han'a Elementary School. Laughter fills the air as groups of children play soccer, basketball, and run across the lush grass. In such an idyllic

setting, it is difficult to imagine that one would find a child in tears, but there is. A young boy with blue hair sits alone in the grass softly sobbing. Another boy, one with blond

hair goes to him. "Rowen, I have something for you. Happy Birthday my friend!" said the boy as he gives a small package to his blue haired companion. 

"Sage! You remembered!" replied Rowen. 

"How could I forget? You're my best friend," said Sage. 

"Best friend? But I only met you this year!" said Rowen. 

"I know, but I feel closer to you than to my other friends," explained Sage. 

"I've always felt the same way with you. I think you are my best friend!" replied Rowen. 

"Then I guess I am getting a present from you, Rowen," said Sage happily. "Now open the package! I hope you like it!" Rowen quickly tore away the wrapping and opened

the box. 

"A book about stars! Sage, thank you!" 

"What is it Rowen?" asked Sage as he looked at the thoughtful expression on his friend's face. 

"I am just thinking. Today I was sad because my parents forgot about my birthday and my mother was so mean to me, but now I am so happy. I am happy because I see that

you brought me a present, but not just the book. You gave me the gift of friendship as you always have, and I hope I can do the same for you." 

"You already have, Rowen, and I promise to always be here for you." replied Sage. 

[end of flashback] 

Yes, he remembered. That was the day- the day they had promised to be friends for life. "Nothing will stop me from keeping that promise, Rowen. Not even the Dynasty," 

"Sage!" called a voice interrupting his thoughts. 

"Huh?" said Sage turning to see who was talking to him. 

"Sage, we're here," said Mia. 

"Should we all go in?" asked Cye. 

"No. I don't think so. It could be a Dynasty trap," replied Sage. 

"Then why don't you go in with Ryo, Sage? Kento and I will wait outside with Mia and Yuli," suggested Cye. 

"That's a good idea, Cye," said Mia. 

"Okay, come on Ryo," said Sage as he got out of the jeep. Ryo followed him up the sidewalk and to the door of Rowen's house. 

"Hello?" asked a woman's voice after a moment. 

"Hello, Mrs. Hashiba? May we see Rowen?" asked Sage. 

"Well, Rowen needs to rest, but I suppose seeing his friends will make him feel better. Come in," invited Mrs. Hashiba. As they stepped into the house, the warriors of Wildfire

and Halo felt a sudden chill, but they followed Mrs. Hashiba into the living room. "His room is at the end of the hall," directed Mrs. Hashiba. 

"Thank you," said Ryo and Sage as they made their way towards Rowen's room. 

"Rowen," called Sage as he entered Rowen's room. 

"He's not there!" exclaimed Ryo. The two exchanged glances and hurried back to the living room. 

"Mrs. Hashiba, Rowen's not..." 

"Looking for me?" asked a familiar voice as the two stepped into the living room. It was Rowen. 

"Rowen, is it really you?" asked Sage. 

"Yes, Sage. It's me," replied Rowen. 

"Hold it Sage. Don't get any closer to him," warned Ryo. 

"There's nothing to be afraid of Sage," said Rowen, but Sage did not move. "Sage there's nothi..." 

"Yaahhhh!" yelled a voice cutting off Rowen. 

"Dynasty soldiers!" shouted Ryo as he turned to see a sword falling toward his head. The two quickly changed into their subarmor and began fighting. 

"Uh!" yelled Sage as he vaulted over the coffee table and pounded his legs into the chest of a Dynasty soldier. He seized the soldier's spear and thrust it through the armor. 

"Take that!" shouted Ryo as he dodged the sword and administered a fist to another's face. 

"Nice moves Wildfire! But you'll need to do better than that to defeat me!" laughed a deep raspy voice. 

"Cale!" said Sage in disbelief. 

"But I thought you're on our side!" called Ryo. 

"Guess again!" yelled another voice. 

"Dais! Sage! Get the others!" cried Ryo. 

"Right!" replied Sage as he kicked a soldier out of his way and lunged for the door. 

"Aren't you going to put on your armor?" jeered Cale. 

"As you wish! Armor of the Wildfire! Dao chi!" retorted Ryo. 

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into Wildfire. Today is you're last battle," warned Dais. 

"We'll see about tha- uh!"Ryo let out a moan of pain as a powerful kick sent him smashing through the wall. 

"Ryo!" yelled Yuli as he watched the warrior fly across the pavement. 

"Ready for more?" asked a familiar voice. The other Ronin Warriors looked on in disbelief as a blue-haired figure emerged from the hole created by Ryo's flight. 

"Rowen?" gasped Ryo as he tried to sit up. 

"Stay where you are!" ordered Rowen as he kicked Ryo in the chest. 

"Rowen! What are you doing?" cried Yuli. 

"Well, I'm going to put an end to it, whatever it is!" proclaimed Kento. 

"No Kento! Wait! Can't you see how powerful Rowen has become? He's not even wearing his subarmor!" said an astonished Mia, but she was too late. Kento was charging

towards Rowen his weapon poised to attack. 

"This is for you, traitor!" shouted Kento as he swung his staff. 

"Kento! No!" yelled Sage. 

"This is too easy," laughed Rowen to himself as he dodged the attack and plastered Kento's face with an uppercut. As Kento fell to the ground, Rowen smashed his elbow into

his back. "Weakling," taunted Rowen as Kento let out a groan. "Play time is over. It's time to finish you all- starting with you," he continued looking Sage in the eye. 

"No!" screamed Sage as Rowen's stormy blue eyes locked on him. 

"Armor of Strata! Dao Inochi!" called Rowen. 

"That's it Strata! Destroy Halo!" yelled Cale as Rowen's transformation began. 

"Put on your armor, Sage!" urged Cye. 

"No! I can't! I won't hurt Rowen!" cried Sage. 

"Sage, you've got to!" shouted Kento. 

"Arrow Shockwa... Ahh! What's happening to me? That light," moaned Rowen as he broke off from his attack. The others looked up into the air to see the figure of a woman

floating in the air. Brilliant yellow light emanated from the staff she was carrying. 

"It's Lady Kayura!" exclaimed Yuli as the woman landed in front of Rowen. 

"Rowen, listen to me. I can help you," she began. 

"Kayura, free me from the Dynasty" he whispered. 

"Yes, Rowen, I will," she said as she raised the staff of the Ancient. 

"Dais, we must inform our master of this!" called Cale. 

"You're not going any where!" said Ryo as he slowly got up, but the two warlords were gone. 

Meanwhile, a dark laughter filled a chamber of the Dynasty castle. "So they think they have won. Little do they know Rowen of the Strata is still mine! Haha Haha!" 

As light continued to pour forth from the staff of the Ancient, Lady Kayura closed her eyes and began chanting. The rings on the staff began to shake violently as her voice

grew stronger. Suddenly they turned into discs of white light and flew from the staff. One by one they floated above Rowen's body surrounding him with a column of white

light. Blue light began to emanate from the white as the rings swirled over Rowen's body. When Kayura finished her chant, she lowered the staff, causing the white light to

vanish. In its wake was Rowen. His kanji flared to life as he collapsed to the ground. 

"Rowen!" gasped Sage as he ran to his best friend. 

"Sage... I'm so sorry," began Rowen as he felt Sage's arms help him sit up. 

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault. You were under the Dynasty's control," he comforted. 

"No, I should have fought harder," cried Rowen as he embraced Sage. 

"You did everything you could," soothed Sage. 

"I... I" he started. He turned as he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Ryo, I'm so sorry for everything I did to you," he apologized. "And you too Kento." 

"It's okay, Rowen. We're just glad to have you back," said Cye. 

"Really?" asked Rowen, his eyes wide with disbelief. 

"Really," answered Kento with a smile. 

"Yeah, Rowen. Don't be so hard on yourself," added Ryo. 

"Is he going to be all right, Lady Kayura?" asked Yuli as he watched the Ronin Warriors' reunion. 

"Yes, Yuli. I think so," she replied. 

"Hurray!" shouted Yuli joyfully as he did a little victory dance on the sidewalk. Lady Kayura sighed as she watched Yuli's celebration. 

"What is it Kayura?" asked a voice. 

"Sekhmet?" she asked in amazement as she turned to see the Warlord of Venom standing beside her. 

"Yes, it's me Kayura. I too managed to escape from the Dynasty soldiers that attacked me. Now tell me, what's bothering you?" he said. 

"Well, something's just not right. The spell cast on Rowen of the Strata was broken far too easily, considering the fact that he couldn't fight it. It's almost like whoever was

controlling him released him," replied Kayura. 

"But why? Strata would be a valuable asset- in fact too valuable for the Dynasty to just cast him away. Did you see how powerful he has become? He had Wildfire and

Hardrock against the ropes without even his subarmor!" he exclaimed. 

"Yes, I did see, and that's why I think Strata is still in great danger," she said. 

"What should we tell the Ronins?" inquired Sekhmet. 

"I don't know. Any ideas I have on who is behind this is based on pure speculation," answered Kayura as she walked toward Cye, Kento, Mia, Yuli, RYo, Sage, and Rowen. 

"Kayura... Thank you," said Rowen as he noticed her arrival. 

She was speechless for a moment, in awe at how handsome Rowen was. "Why do I feel this way when I'm with Rowen? Have we met in another time or place? Perhaps...

Those eyes...like sapphires... They look so familiar," she thought as her face met his. 

"Kayura," said Sekhmet gently, breaking her out of her thoughts. 

"What? Oh, sorry," she blurted, her face beet red. "I um, just want to warn you that you must be on your guard," 

"We will Kayura. Can you tell us what this was all about?" said Ryo. 

"And what's up with Dais and Cale?" asked Kento. 

"Yes, how is that you two are still on our side?" questioned Cye. 

"We probably can't answer all of your questions, but we will try our best," replied Sekhmet. 

"Before you guys start talking, let's get back to my house since it's getting cold and dark. If you're going to be fighting soon, you need to rest," said Mia. 

"I think I'll still be sore after a good night's sleep after what Rowen did to me, but whatever you say, Mia," teased Ryo. 

"Ryo! Don't say things like that!" hissed Cye as he noticed the hurt expression on Rowen's face upon hearing Ryo's comment. 

"I'll go as long as we get to eat!" exclaimed Kento. 

"Kento!" they all shouted. 

"How are we all going to fit into your jeep, Mia?" asked Yuli. 

"I've got that covered," said Kayura as she raised the Ancient's staff. Within minutes, they sitting around the dining table at Mia's house. 

"It's a good thing we cooked dinner before we left," said Cye as he pulled a pan of chicken from the oven. 

"How did we ever keep Kento out of it?" asked Mia as she carried two baskets of rolls to the dining room. 

"A really big lunch!" laughed Cye as he followed Mia. 

"Let's eat!" yelled Kento once Mia and Cye had settled into their chairs. Nobody protested and for a while nobody said anything as they dug into a meal of chicken, mashed

potatoes, Caesar salad, rolls, and milk. 

Finally Ryo spoke. "Well, we've all had some time to unwind so if you guys don't mind, I'd like to try to figure out what's been going on all this time." 

"Fine with me," said Sekhmet, the others echoing his sentiment. 

"Okay. I guess we'll tell you our side of the story first," decided Ryo. "If you guys have anything to add, feel free to hump in." 

"You bet I will!" exclaimed Kento. 

Ryo chuckled at Kento's remark, but his face became very serious as he began to recount the day's events to Lady Kayura and Sekhmet. "The morning and afternoon passed

without incident. Everything started when we went to visit Rowen in the hospital." 

"Ryo, it would be better if you started from the very beginning," interrupted Cye. 

"The very beginning?" puzzled Sekhmet aloud. 

"Yes. I guess everything really started Friday night. Kento, Cye, Sage, Rowen, and I went out to eat. After that I went home, Kento and Cye went to Kento's place, and

Rowen and Sage went to Sage's house." 

Sage sighed and said, "I'll take it from here, Ryo." Ryo nodded his head and Sage began. "Once we got home, Rowen and I talked for a little bit and went to sleep. At around

two in the morning, I woke up and found Rowen out of bed, and my mom checking on us. Then it happened," continued Sage, his voice filled with emotion. "I... I can't explain

it, but something... something was," said Sage, his voice cracking. Sage could still see the scene clearly in his mind- Rowen's body thrashing wildly under the blankets as he

struggled to breathe. 

"Do you remember any of this, Rowen?" asked Kayura quickly. 

"No. All I remember was this intense pain. I could hear Sage trying to tell me something, but everything hurt too much to pick up what he was saying. Then, I passed out and

woke up in the hospital," he replied. 

"When we first saw him at the hospital, Rowen was still unconscious. The doctor's put him on a respirator," said Mia. 

"And there was that thing with his kanji!" burst Kento. 

"Explain," said Sekhmet. 

"Well his kanji appeared on his forehead. It started out blue, but then it turned blood. Then, it just disappeared! When that happened, Rowen seemed to be in pain and his

body started shaking," said Kento. 

"What happened the other days you visited him?" asked Sekhmet. 

"He regained consciousness and was taken off the respirator," replied Cye. 

"Then my parents came," said Rowen, 

"Your parents came? When?" asked Ryo. 

"Sunday afternoon. They started arguing and I... I felt that awful pain again, and I passed out. When I woke up, I found myself in some castle. The Lord of the Dynasty..." 

"Talpa?" asked Kento. 

"No, not Talpa, but Cyboth. He introduced himself as the Lord of the Dynasty. I could feel this evil coursing through my veins. I was me, but then again I wasn't. My body

willingly followed his orders, but my mind tried to resist him, but couldn't," answered Rowen. 

"And then you came and beat Ryo and me up," finished Kento. Rowen winced and sunk deeper into his chair when he heard this. 

"What can you tell us?" Sage asked quickly, noticing Rowen's reaction to Kento's comment. 

"And what do you make of our story?" added Cye. 

Kayura sat for a moment, deep in thought. "The only thing I know for sure is what we all know. This, Cyboth, is after Rowen, but I don't know why. It seems that he would be

trying to turn Ryo to his side in order to obtain the Armor of Inferno. As for what happened in the hospital, I believe the attacks and pain Rowen felt were caused by Nether

Spirits, attempting to infuse him with dark energy so that he would serve the Dynasty," answered Lady Kayura. 

"Would that explain why Rowen was so powerful when he attacked us?" inquired Ryo. 

"No, I can still feel a tremendous power within Rowen, but it is not tainted with the dark energy. Besides, breaking Cyboth's spell reversed the effects of anything he might have

It's possible that the Nether Spirits were simply used to unlock this power," she theorized. 

"Unlock?" wondered Ryo. 

"Yes. That would be the best way to describe it, but I've never felt such a power before," she replied. 

"Is there something we don't know about my armor?" asked Rowen. 

"It's possible. Why don't I look in my computer? I'm sure Grandfather has what we're looking for in his files if there is something to be found," offered Mia. 

"That would be a good start. Sekhmet, tell them your story. I would like to spend some time in meditation. It will allow me to better understand the recent turn of events,"

announced Kayura as she rose from her chair. 

"Very well," said Sekhmet as she left the dining room. Rowen watched her for a moment before standing and following her. 

"Rowen?" asked Ryo in astonishment as he watched his friend. 

"Let him go. He probably needs some time alone," said Sekhmet his gaze returning to the gathering around the table. "Now, here is what happened to us," he continued as

Rowen's footsteps softly echoed down the hall. 

"Yes, please do," said Cye as Mia returned to her seat with her computer. 

"We were continuing our work, trying to repair the damage Talpa had done to the Nether World. In order to cover more ground, we split up. A few days later, Kayura felt a

dark power emerge. She attempted to contact Dais and Cale, but was unsuccessful. As you know, our search for them was also unsuccessful, but at the time we did not know

what happened to them," he said... 

[flashback] 

"Another castle!" gasped Sekhmet as he looked upon the imposing structure standing before him. A great wall of gray brick blocked their path, but they could see what lay

beyond. Throngs of Dynasty soldiers marched in formation across the turrets of the castle, while others stood guard at gates. All around, Nether Spirits flew, corrupting the air

with their dark energy. Leading their flight was a spirit unlike the others. His body was solid, not the thin wisps of purple smoke which formed the others. Instead he wore

crimson robes, only his face protruding. It was a horrid face. His skin was a pale green, shriveled and wrinkled like a prune. And there were his eyes - white spheres

surrounding black holes of nothingness. 

"Badamon," he breathed as he watched the scene with growing concern. Lightning began to crackle, streaks shooting toward a massive tower. It was built in traditional

Japanese architecture- a pyramidal arrangement of levels, each smaller than the next, until they extended into a long spire. 

"This way," directed Lady Kayura as the battle cry of approaching soldiers could be heard. Together they ran, dodging spears, arrows, and swords. Another pack of soldiers

arrived blocking their path. Without a word the two donned their armor. The dark sky lit up with orange light as the Warlord of Venom launched his attack. A dozen soldiers

fell to a pile of rubble as the wave of energy hit them and the venom began biting into their green armor... 

[end of flashback] 

"I was about to attack again, but found myself in your world," he finished. The room remained quiet with the exception of frenzied fingers pounding against the keyboard of a

computer. Mia looked at the screen in frustration as it blared familiar diagrams of the Armor of Strata. 

"Not again!" groaned Mia as the sequence of pictures ended and the computer prompted her for a password. 

"Any luck?" asked Cye. 

"No. I know the answer to the riddle is 'sky', but it's not working. Maybe there's something wrong with the program," she sighed. 

"Why don't you try another word for sky, like the heavens?" suggested Sage. She looked doubtfully at him, but typed it into the computer. The screen cleared and more

images appeared. 

"But that's the Armor of Strata," she stuttered. 

"No, it's something different, but very similar" observed Ryo as he took a closer look at the screen. 

"Hey! You're right! Can you slow down those pictures, Mia?" said Kento. 

"Yes," she said and entered a few commands into the terminal. 

"So that's why the Dynasty wants Rowen so badly," said Cye as he read the text that accompanied the images. The others exchanged glances and dashed off to find Rowen. 

"Kayura," said a voice as she sat on the floor of the den, the Ancient's staff appearing in her right hand. 

"Rowen?" Kayura whispered, turning to see a figure standing in the doorway. 

"Yeah, it's me," he said softly, stepping out of the darkness and into the soft light. He slowly walked to where she was sitting and kneeled by her side. 

"What is it, Rowen?" she asked as she gazed into his eyes. 

"I came here to thank you for saving me... and to tell you that I," he began. 

"Rowen, I love you too," said Kayura as she fell into his strong arms, their faces getting closer and closer, her lips finally meeting Rowen's. She opened her eyes as she felt him

gently pull away. 

"Kayura, I have this feeling that we've," he began. 

"Met before?" she finished. 

"Yes," he replied. 

"But when? It must have been long ago, before Talpa took me from my village," she said as she rested her hand on his pale cheek. "Those eyes. So beautiful, a blue deeper

than the sea, yet so sad," she thought. 

"Rowen?" called Sage's voice from outside the room, breaking the two from the reverie. 

"Yes?" replied Rowen as he got to his feet. 

"We think we know why the Dynasty is after you," said Sage. The two exchanged glances and Rowen rushed to open the door. 

"The data in my grandfather's files should answer a lot of our questions," said Mia as she walked to a desk and set down the computer. 

"Armor of the Heavens?" asked Rowen as he looked at the images appearing on the screen. 

"Yes. The Armor of the Heavens, also known as the Armor of Life in some legends. Its power is greater than even that of the Inferno. What's especially interesting is that it

does not require the combination of the other armors, like the Inferno. This is what Cyboth wants and since you are its bearer, Rowen," 

"He also wants me," he finished. 

Meanwhile in the Dynasty... 

"Lord Cyboth, Lady Kayura has managed to break your hold on Rowen of the Strata," said Dais as he bowed before his master. 

"What?" muttered Cale as Cyboth's sinister laugh filled the throne room. 

"Fear not, Dais, my Dark Warlord of Illusion. It was my doing," he said. 

"You, master? But why?" asked Dais. 

"You shall see," he said mysteriously.


	4. Chapter 4

Return of Rowen

Chapter 4 - Letters

By Rowen

Sage stood in the doorway of Rowen's room debating whether to enter or not. It had been two days since Rowen had learned of his true power- power that the Dynasty

would stop at nothing to obtain. Since then, Sage had noticed some changes in his best friend. Subtle changes- so subtle the other Ronin Warriors hadn't noticed. Rowen was

becoming more and more reclusive, spending hours in seclusion brooding. When Rowen was with the others, he did everything he could to make the others happy, no matter

how much it inconvenienced him. Rowen's nature was caring and selfless, but things were getting excessive. It was as if Rowen felt that he was a threat to his friends and

avoided them in order to protect them, while feeling that he had to prove that he was still their friend. But he didn't need to. Rowen was the best friend anyone could ask for.

"Why Rowen? Why do you blame yourself for what isn't your fault? Come back to us. We miss your laughter and company," thought Sage as he looked out the window of the

room, watching the stars emerge one by one. He slowly turned his gaze to Rowen, whom sat at his desk writing. 

"Hey Rowen! What are you doing?" greeted Sage as Rowen turned around from his desk. 

"Hey Sage! I'm not doing much. Just writing," he replied as he folded some pieces of paper and put them in an envelope. 

"Letter to your dad?" asked Sage, leaning against the wall. 

"No. Sage there's something I need to tell you. It's hard for me to ask this of you, because I know how hard it will be for you to do what I ask, but I must," he said. 

"What do you mean?" asked Sage. "No!" he cried, suddenly realizing what Rowen had to say and what was in the letters. 

"I'm sorry Sage, but you've got to promise me. If the only way to stop the Dynasty is to hurt me, you've got to do it," said Rowen. 

"I can't do it," protested Sage. 

"Ryo made that sacrifice, and we were ready to as well. It may be the only way to save the world," he insisted. 

"But," started Sage. He stopped, hanging his head in defeat. He knew Rowen was right, and that if he were in Rowen's position he would do the same. "Rowen, I will do as

you ask, but only if we have to," he relented. 

"Thanks. I guess I should tell the others," said Rowen. 

"Yeah. I'll come with you," said Sage as Rowen rose from his desk. 

"You mean the thought's never crossed your mind?" asked Kento in astonishment. 

"No," answered Cye. 

"Kento does have a point, Cye. It's possible that Rowen's turned against us. You saw how he attacked me and was ready to kill Sage," argued Ryo. 

"But he was under the Dynasty's control," countered Cye. 

"Then why couldn't he resist them? He could against Talpa!" Kento pointed out. Cye groaned and Kento said ,"Look, all I'm trying to say is that there's a possibility that

Rowen's not on our side any more." 

"The way you talk it sounds like more than just a possibility!" retorted Cye. 

"And with this new power of his there's," 

"Guys, there's someth..." started Rowen as he entered Ryo's room. 

"...no telling what Rowen might do to us!" Ryo practically shouted. 

"What was that?" asked Kento as their conversation was interrupted with a loud crash. 

Ryo gasped as he saw Rowen backed up against the wall, tears streaming down his face. "Oh my, God!" he stammered, but he turned and ran down the hallway. 

"Rowen!" called Sage as he ran after his friend. 

"Guys? What's going on up there?" asked Mia from the den. She had been working at her computer trying to find learn more about Rowen's new armor until she had been

interrupted by the loud noises from upstairs. "This doesn't look good," she sighed as she watched Rowen run out the front door. 

"What did I do?" asked Kento. 

"Kento, you just can't keep your mouth shut sometimes, can you?" muttered Cye as he got up from his seat. "What's this? Letters to us, from Rowen?" He opened his and

began reading. 

"Ryo! Kento! What is going on in here? And who broke this vase?" asked Mia, her hands on her hips as she stood in the doorway. 

"It's my fault," said Ryo guiltily. "We were just talking." 

"Just talking?" she asked suspiciously. 

"Not exactly," admitted Kento. 

"We were talking about whether Rowen was still on our side or not," explained Ryo. 

"How can you two even question Rowen's loyalty? You especially, Ryo! I can't tell you how many times he's nearly gotten killed trying to save you from the Dynasty! The past

few days he's tried so hard to show you that he's still your friend- not sleeping in till one in the afternoon so nobody has to wake him up, going shopping with me so you

wouldn't have to, Kento, and playing with Yuli so you could have sometime alone, Ryo. I could go on and on! He needs your support more than ever right now!" shouted Mia.

Before Mia could continue, she was stopped by a soft cry from behind. 

"Rowen... I'm so sorry," she heard a voice whisper. She turned to see Cye kneeling on the ground. His sea-green eyes were misty and he held a few sheets of paper in his

hands. 

"What is it, Cye?" she asked. 

"What are you looking at, Cye?" asked Ryo as he joined Mia in the hall. 

"Hey, what are these?" wondered Kento as he picked up three envelopes that were scattered on the floor. Cye said nothing but gave Mia the letter he had been reading.

"Here, Ryo," said Kento, handing him an envelope. 

"Guys, what's going on?" asked Yuli sleepily, emerging from his room at the commotion. "Where are Sage and Rowen?" He surveyed the scene trying to find out what Ryo,

Kento, Cye, and Mia were doing. "It must be important, or Mia would have told me to go back to bed by now. But if something's come up, why aren't Sage and Rowen

here?" he pondered. 

Rowen ran down the brick path leading to the lake, not stopping until he reached the end of the dock. He collapsed against the railing, his body quaking with each sob. 

"Rowen," said Sage gently as he went to his friend. 

"I'm sorry, Sage. Ryo and Kento are right. I am a tr..." 

"No! Don't say that! You're not a traitor," cut in Sage. 

"You saw what I did to them, and what I was ready to do to you," continued Rowen. 

"It wasn't you, Rowen. It was the Dynasty. They put you under a spell and forced you to do what they wanted. It wasn't by your free will. I know you would never hurt your

friends. No matter what you do under the Dynasty's control, I will always trust and believe in you," comforted Sage. 

"Then why do Ryo and Kento feel that I'm evil? And why do I question where my loyalty lies?" asked Rowen. 

"It's part of your nature. You're undyingly faithful to those you care about, and you feel guilty because you've hurt us, even when it wasn't your fault. That shows your true

colors, Rowen. If you didn't care about us, you wouldn't blame yourself for what happened," he explained. He smiled and continued, "It's how you've always been- starting

from day one." 

[flashback] 

"Class, today we have a new student. Please welcome Rowen Hashiba," announced Mrs. Omoto. "Why don't you sit next to Sage Date? Sage raise your hand," she directed.

Sage did as she asked, but Rowen hesitated. He stood for a moment looking at Sage. He wore a crisp white shirt and brown pants. His hair was blond and neatly combed

over his right eye. Rowen froze even stiller as he looked into Sage's left eye, feeling its fierceness. Suddenly, Rowen felt himself walking toward the boy. When he looked into

Sage's eye he now felt its warmth. Finally he sat down at the desk next to Sage's. 

"Hi! I'm Sage," he said in a friendly voice, trying to make his new classmate feel at ease. 

"Hi... I'm Rowen," replied Rowen quietly. Sage looked at the blue-haired boy for a moment. He was so timid. It seemed as if the boy was afraid of something. But what? Sage

knew that it was Rowen's first day at Han'a Elementary, but sensed the fear went deeper than the new surroundings. He could feel pain- loneliness coming from Rowen. "I

should try to become friends with him," thought Sage as he watched Rowen fidgeting nervously in his chair. 

"Where are you from?" he asked. 

"Osaka," answered Rowen. 

"Why did you move to Toyoma?" inquired Sage. 

"My parents got divorced. My mother and I moved here after that," answered Rowen. 

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Sage. 

"It's hard, but I'm getting used to it," said Rowen. He stooped suddenly. For some reason, he felt close to Sage, even though it had only been a few minutes since they had

become acquainted. 

"Sage! Please do not disturb your classmate! You will have to stay after class!" snapped a voice causing Rowen to nearly jump out of his seat. 

"Mrs. Omoto, don't punish Sage. It was my fault," he burst, but his words fell on deaf ears. "I'm sorry I got you in trouble," apologized Rowen. 

"Oh, it's nothing. I just want to be your friend," said Sage. 

"Really? Even after?" he asked in astonishment. 

"Yes, Rowen," he replied... 

[end of flashback] 

"I still remember that expression on your face. You felt so bad that I had to stay after class. You thought that it was your fault, I got in trouble, but it wasn't. See? You've

always been that way- always caring about other people," said Sage. Rowen nodded. "Now come on, the others are probably worried about us," he finished. As they turned

to return to the house, footsteps pounded down the dock. The two looked up to see Ryo, Kento, Cye, Mia, and Yuli running toward them. Ryo stopped a few feet away from

Rowen, his eyes moist with tears. He slowly walked to Rowen and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

"Rowen. I'm sorry," Ryo started his voice cracking. 

"Yeah, me too. It was stupid of us to think that you were a traitor. Can you forgive us?" Kento said solemnly. 

Rowen smiled at them and said, "Yes." 

"We'll do everything we can to make sure that you don't have to sacrifice yourself to save the world," added Ryo. 

"Thanks," replied Rowen, letting his friends embrace him. He glanced into the sky, watching the stars brightly twinkle. "Isn't this beautiful?" he asked. 

"Yes, it sure is, Rowen. I wish it could last forever," agreed Ryo.


	5. Chapter 5

Return of Rowen

Chapter 5

By Rowen

"Pathetic human!" laughed a menacing voice as Rowen felt another bolt of lightning tear through his body. The dark energy crackled angrily through his body seeking to destroy

the heart of one who dared oppose its master. 

"Rowen!" he heard a voice cry through the searing pain. 

"I'm sorry my love. Please forgive me," thought Rowen as he felt the attack sap the last of his strength. 

"Rowen! No!"... 

"Noooo!" screamed Rowen as he shot up from his pillow. Sweat covered his brow and a few drops fell to his trembling hands as his chest heaved. He tore away the blankets

entwined around his body, but remained on his bed, his stormy eyes gazing blankly across the room. "It was just a dream, but it... felt so real- more like reliving some moment

of my life than a nightmare. Everything seemed so familiar. Especially those voices," he thought, setting his feet on the plush white carpet. As Rowen stood the beauty of the sky

caught his eye and he was momentarily distracted from his thoughts. He slowly walked across the room, and opened the French doors and stepped onto the balcony. A gentle

breeze fluttered through the trees as the rays of the sun broke through the clouds. Rowen closed his eyes and savored the feel of the light's warmth against his pale skin, the

sound of the stream's gentle murmur, and the scent of cherry blossoms. Finally, he opened his eyes, brushing aside the lock of electric-blue hair that the wind had playfully

tossed into his face. "It doesn't get much better than this. Life would be perfect if it weren't for the Dynasty," sighed the Warrior of Strata as he went inside. He pulled a fresh

pair of boxers from his closet and quietly made his way to the bathroom, trying not to wake his sleeping friends. Seeing the peaceful expressions on their faces returned a smile

to his face, and his thoughts turned to protecting them. "I've got to find a way to keep Cyboth from taking control of me. But how? Ancient, I still don't understand. Help me

see the meaning of your words," he thought as he stepped into the shower. 

[flashback] 

Serenity reigned in the forest. Not a sound could be heard except for the soft reustle of the emerald green leaves and the occasional scampering of squirrels in the brush. It was

a perfect sanctuary for two young men seeking an escape from the stress of daily life. Sage sat by the trunk of a tree while Rowen had chosen a rock close by. Their eyes were

closed and their minds focused on peace and harmony with the universe. Rowen heard the clanking of metal and a voice calling him. "Ancient!" he thought as the figure of a

man materialized in front of him. 

"Rowen of the Strata, you must break the chains binding you and your soul or you will never be free. Farewell," said the Ancient. 

"What do you mean?" asked Rowen, but he was gone. 

[ end of flashback ] 

"You must break the chains binding you and your soul or you will never be free," the Ancient's voice resounded in his head. 

"Chains binding me and my soul? It doesn't make any sense," pondered Rowen as he turned off the water. He let out a sigh of frustration as he dried himself off with a towel.

When he returned to his roon, he sat on his bed and closed his eyes, trying to let his anger dissipate. Soon, he felt calm and an image appeared in his mind. It became clearer as

he concentrated his thoughts. "It's me and... and Sage," 

[ flashback ] 

Rowen and Sage quietly walked to Sage's house after a few hours of tennis on the courts of Han'a High School. An afternoon of slugging away at tennis balls had finally cooled

his rage, and Rowen now wore a guilty expression on his face. 

"Feeling any better, Rowen?" asked Sage. Rowen shook his head. "You're still upset about the incident with your mom," started Sage. 

Rowen nodded and said, "Yeah. Everything I do seems to make her mad. I keep thinking that I'm the reason for her unhappiness, and that I'm causing her to be so bitter and

spiteful." 

"Rowen, you're not responsible for the way she acts," said Sage. He looked away for a moment trying to find the right words and continued in a gentler voice. "You've got to

stop being so hard on yourself. Rid yourself of the useless guilt. In otherwords, don't blame yourself for what isn't your fault." 

"How? When will I learn, Sage?" asked Rowen. 

"It's just a matter of time, Rowen. It'll come to you. I know it will," he replied. 

[ end of flashback ] 

"Could that be it? Yes, that's it! Ancient, it's all clear to me now," he thought, his deep blue eyes flying open. "The useless guilt Sage spoke of are the chains binding me and my

soul. Guilt led to fear. When Cyboth first captured me, I couldn't keep him from forcing me to betray my friends. I started to lose faith in my armor and couldn't use it's power.

To make matters worse, I stopped trusting myself, questioning everything I did. It was all part of Cyboth's plan. I can't let it happen again." "What the...!?" cried Rowen as he

felt somebody tackling him. He struggled against his attacker until he felt a sandy tongue lick his face and heard a familiar low growl. "White Blaze!" he laughed letting the tiger

nuzzle his head against his cheek. 

"That's enough, White Blaze!" said Ryo 

"Hey Ryo!" said Rowen as White Blaze jumped off of his bed. 

"Sorry about that, Rowen. I let White Blaze get a little carried away," apologized Ryo. 

"That's okay. So what's up?" asked Rowen. 

"It's time for breakfast. Better hurry before Typhoon Rei-Fuan gets to it," answered Ryo. 

Rowen smiled and said, "All right. Let's go down." 

"Hi Ryo! Hi Rowen!" greeted Cye as they walked into the dining room. 

"Hi White Blaze!" chimed in Yuli. He got up from his chair to pet White Blaze, but stopped suddenly. "Hey! Why isn't Kento down yet?" he asked. 

"Yuli, he'll be down right about... Now!" answered Cye as he set a platter of pancakes on the table. Just then, Kento stormed into the room. 

"How did you do that?" marvelled Yuli. 

"Once you get run over by Kento, you learn to know where he is at all times," joked Ryo. 

"Here Yuli, let's see if Ryo can learn that lesson!" snapped Kento. Rowen laughed and went to find Sage. His best friend stood outside, leaning against the railing of the deck

and sipped a cup of coffee. 

"Sage!" called Rowen, closing the door behind him. 

"Hey Rowen! Sleep well last night? You beat all of us up again," said Sage. 

"I'm okay. As for last night, well I had this really weird dream," he replied. 

"A message from the Ancient?" inquired Sage. 

"No. I was fighting somebody, but I didn't have my armor. I nearly got killed, but woke up before that happened. What was strange was that everything seemed more like a

memory than a dream. The voices - they sounded so familiar. I couldn't see who was talking to me, just the surroundings. It wasn't our time or place," he continued. 

"I don't know what to say, Rowen. I haven't had any dreams that are out of the ordinary. Maybe it doesn't mean anything. But who knows? It's possible that there's something

that I'm missing," he said. 

"Yeah," agreed Rowen. 

"Now let's get something to eat before there's nothing left," said Sage. 

"After you," said Rowen, opening the door for Sage. 

"Awwwww... Isn't that sweet?" teased Ryo as he watched Rowen and Sage. 

"They're just friends unlike you and Mia," snickered Kento. He burst out laughing as Mia sat down and said ," Good morning, Ryo." 

"What's so funny, Kento?" grumbled Ryo. 

"Yeah, Kento. What's so funny?" asked Cye, trying to stifle his own laughter. 

"You little..." spat Ryo under his breath. 

"Ow!" cried Cye, grabbing his calf. 

"What's wrong, Cye?" asked Mia worriedly. 

"I just um... hit my foot against the table leg," he answered sheepishly. 

Mia sighed and said, "Cye, be a little more careful. The rest of you need to hurry up and finish eating. We have a bunch of errands to run this morning." 

A few hours later, a park in Toyoma. 

"What is it Rowen?" asked Ryo as the Ronin of Air suddenly rose from his chair, his hands still at his sides, but clenched into fists. 

"Yeah, Rowen? What's the matter?" echoed Kento. Their confusion was understandable as none of the tell-tale signs of a Dynasty force's presence had appeared. No chill

wind had begun to blow, no thick fog had blanketed the area, and no evil aura could be felt. Ryo, Cye, Kento, and Sage formed a protective circle around Mia and Yuli as

they scanned the vicinity, but only saw trees, a lush grass field, and the glistening skyline of Toyoma. 

"Do you guys feel any..." started Cye. 

"Rowen of the Strata, Lord Cyboth wishes for you to return to him," interrupted a commanding voice. The others whirled around expecting to find a legion of Dynasty soldiers,

but only found one. 

"Hey! Where are all your buddies? Really think you can take us on alone?" taunted Kento. 

The soldier ignored him and continued. "Your highness, do not keep Lord Cyboth waiting. Go to him now!" 

"Why should I?" scoffed Rowen. 

"Prince Rowen, it is your duty to serve the Dynasty and obey your emperor. Let me remind you that while you are the prince of the Dynasty, you will be punished for

committing acts of treason!" warned the soldier. 

"Cyboth is not my emperor! I don't serve him or his Dynasty!" retorted Rowen. 

"Seize him!" shouted the soldier causing a dozen of his comrades to materialize, their weapons raised and poised to attack. 

"Rowen? Prince of the Dynasty?" wondered Cye out loud. 

"Cye, there's something that's just a little bit more important right now," said Ryo as he leapt forward ready to fight. Sage joined him, but Rowen motioned for them to stop. 

"What are you guys waiting for? Rowen needs your help!" protested Yuli, just as the Dynasty soldiers began charging toward them. 

"Die!" yelled one of them as he threw his spear at Rowen. Yuli buried his face in Mia's side, too frightened to watch the impending carnage. 

"Rowen! No!" cried Sage, a flash of green light flared from his body as he donned his subarmor. He jumped into the air to intercept the weapon, but before his foot could

make contact, he felt a wind pull the spear away. He watched in surprise as it reversed directions, turning on its owner. The spear homed in on its new target and struck. 

"Uh!" moaned the soldier as he felt the steel tip tear through his armor. It impaled the rest of his body, causing black smoke to gush out of the opening. 

"Impressive, but you're no match for this troop without your friends helping you. Attack!" the commanding soldier ordered. They hadn't moved more than a foot when a blue

light surrounded them. Everyone watched in awe as the grass turned silver. Suddenly the soldiers cried out in pain. Their feet were began to disintegrate, followed by their legs,

and then their torsos. The thick fog of dark energy dissipating from their armor made it impossible to see what was happening. Slowly some of the soldiers vanished, revealing

seven foot steel blades rising from where they had stood. Streaks of white lightning shot from the blades destroying the remaining warriors. 

"Leave us, and send my best to Cyboth," said Rowen dryly. A moment later he was alone with his friends, and they began asking a barrage of questions. 

"How did you do that?" asked Cye, watching the steel blades turn back into grass. 

"Yeah, and what did that tin can mean when he called you Prince Rowen?" added Kento. 

"I'd like to know why you turned against Lord Cyboth," hissed a sinister voice. 

"More Dynasty goons!" shouted Ryo as he turned to see throngs of soldiers surrounding them, trying to close all possible escape routes. 

"One extra large order of scrap metal coming right up!" said Kento, transforming into his subarmor. 

"Come on you guys! You can do it!" exclaimed Yuli as Cye joined Ryo, Kento, and Sage in a protective formation around Rowen. 

"Let's take care of these tin cans!" yelled Ryo. 

"Help!" cried two voices before he could attack. 

"Mia! Yuli!" he gasped watching in horror as some troops moved menacingly in their direction. 

"Ryo! Don't worry about them. I'm on it. Just start taking out some of those soldiers. I won't be long," said Rowen. 

Ryo nodded and turned his attention to the army in front of him. Spears and arrows began flying at the Warrior of Wildfire as he lunged toward a small group of warriors, but

his speed allowed him to dodge the attacks. His fists pounded into the chestplate of a soldier's green armor once he landed, but another was waiting for him. 

"Watch out!" warned Sage as a sword swung at Ryo's head. He blocked the blow with his arm, and a burst of red light flashed from his subarmor. Ryo quickly rolled away,

allowing Sage to pummel his opponent with a flying kick. Ryo scrambled to grab the soldier's sword and sliced it across his chest. He took a moment and looked around the

park to check on his friends. To his right, he saw Kento and Cye. The ground around them was littered with the weapons of fallen Dynasty troops, but many had taken their

place. 

"It looks like we're holding out for now," thought Ryo. "I wonder how Rowen is do..." His jaw dropped open in amazement at the scene in front of his eyes. As Rowen's fist

made contact with a soldier, a bolt of blue energy shot out of his hand causing the green armor to disintegrate. "How did he do that? And he's so much faster than he used to

be. He's always been the fastest one out of the five of us, but nothing like this." Five soldiers sprung out of nowhere to attack Rowen, but he was ready for them. He jumped

straight for the leader of the pack and kicked him in the chest. Another blast of energy flew from his foot, destroying his enemy. Before black smoke could replace the green

armor, streams of blue light erupted from the soldier's decaying form and slashed the remaining warriors. 

"Ryo! Behind you!" cried Yuli. Ryo whipped his head back, but saw nothing. 

"What is it, Yuli?" he asked. 

"There... there was a... a Dynasty soldier," he stuttered in shock. Ryo turned, saw a sphere of white light surrounding him and realized what had happened. 

"Rowen save my life again and he's been using his powers to protect Mia and Yuli. Thank you my friend," thought Ryo. 

"Give up now Ronin Warriors!" roared the commander of the Dynasty soldiers, causing his thoughts to quickly refocus on the battle. 

"Never!" shouted Ryo, his mind assessing the situation. "New soldiers just keep coming at us. They're probably trying to wear us down before the big guns are pulled on us,"

he said to himself. "Guys! Let's get this over with! Use your armor!" called Ryo. 

"Armor of Hardrock!" 

"Armor of Halo!" 

"Armor of the Wildfire!" chorused the voices of three of the Ronin warriors. 

"Let me show you what I'm really made of!" yelled Kento as he swung his staff toward the heads of several Dynasty warriors. Sage was silent, but his no-datchi was making

short work of their foes as well. A few feet away was Ryo, finishing off yet another soldier. As he pulled his swords out of his opponent, he caught a glimpse of sky-blue

subarmor reflecting off of the blade. 

"Cye! Use your armor!" he called. 

"Gee Ryo, I'd love too, but I don't think that would make Rowen too happy," replied Cye. Before Ryo could respond, all of the Dynasty soldiers suddenly vanished. 

"What the...?" said Ryo. 

"Cye!" cried Sage. 

"No!" gasped Kento. 

"Haven't the others noticed that the soldiers are gone? And what's happened to Cye?" wondered Ryo. Fearing the worst, Ryo looked back to where he had seen the Warrior

of Torrent's subarmor. The sight which greeted his eyes was so terrifying that Ryo dropped his katanas. Ten feet in the air was Cye, a panicked expression on his face. A

sword was pressed against his neck. Holding the hilt of the blade was Rowen. "Let him go, Rowen," Ryo finally managed to say. 

"I don't take orders from you," retorted Rowen. 

"If you want one of us, take me. Just let Cye go," pleaded Sage. 

"No! None of us are going anywhere!" boomed Kento in frustration as he leapt into the air to rescue Cye. 

"You want him, you can have him!" said Rowen coldly and he shoved Cye toward Kento. 

"Ah!" yelled Cye as he plummeted out of the sky. Kento quickly moved to catch him, but Rowen had thrown him with too much force. Cye slammed into Kento and the two

Ronins flew toward the ground. 

"Uh!" groaned Kento as he slammed into the field below. He let out another moan as he felt Cye land on top of him. Rowen laughed a sinister laugh as he watched them writhe

in pain. 

"Rowen! Stop! Don't hurt your friends!" cried Yuli. 

"Who are you to tell the prince of the Dynasty what to do?" demanded a deep voice. 

"Rowen doesn't serve the Dynasty!" shouted Ryo in the direction the voice had come from. He turned back to where Rowen had been, but saw no one. A thick black fog had

taken his place, and the outline of a figure could be seen. 

"What makes you so sure of that Ryo of the Wildfire?" asked the voice. 

"Who are you? Show yourself!" ordered Ryo. 

"I am Cyboth, the emperor of the Dynasty," he replied. 

"So you're the one behind all of this! Taking Rowen against his will and forcing him to serve you... I'm going to make you pay for what you've done! Flare up now!" boomed

Ryo as he raised his swords. An enormous burst of white light flashed from the blades as he launched his sure-kill. Suddenly the black fog disappeared and Rowen

reappeared. "No!" cried Ryo as he watched his attack hurling toward his friend. Kento, Cye, Sage, Mia, and Yuli looked on unable to move, as the wave of energy reached

Rowen. They heard a massive explosion and saw blue light erupt from the white. Finally it dissipated revealing the Warrior of Strata, in his subarmor. "Rowen! You're alive!"

he said. 

"Did you really think that your pathetic attack could hurt me? Let me show you what your armor is really capable of. Flare up now!" thundered Rowen. Ryo screamed as he

felt the heat of the attack sear his body. 

"Ryo! No!" cried Mia as she saw him thrown into the air. He flew ten feet backwards before his body crashed into a tree. 

"This pain! It's unbelievable! Rowen please! Fight Cyboth's power!" he groaned as he tried to stand. 

"Ronin Warriors, where do you think Rowen of the Strata's loyalty really lies?" asked Cyboth. 

"No! It can't be!" said Sage, tears beginning to fill his eyes. 

Sekhmet stood in the doorway of a deserted temple, anxiously awaiting the next Dynasty assault. He sighed and shook his head sadly as he rested his hand against the frame of

the door, taking in the structure's dilapidated appearance. Red paint peeled from the rafters, revealing the tired wooden beams that supported the roof. The walls let out a

series of moans as a wind began to blow, and the Warlord of Venom warily turned around, looking for any foes. Instead, his green eyes found the terrain of the Nether World.

The plain stretched for miles turning from barren earth to a lush meadow blanketed with flowers. A river winded across the field, toward a range of mountains, finally

disappearing against the horizon. As Sekhmet's gaze rose to the soft yellow sky, he saw that it harbored great beauty as well. Stars shimmered like diamonds and cast their

light through the few clouds. "Such beauty in this place, yet so much of it has been destroyed through the evil of the Dynasty. We must stop them from causing any more

destruction, but is this the best way? Was it wise for us to return to the Nether World? I know we have to prevent Cyboth from attacking the Mortal World, but there has only

been one attack, and that was directed toward us. Perhaps we should join the Ronin Warriors," he pondered. Sekhmet turned to the center of the temple where the last

member of the Ancient's clan sat. Her head was slightly bowed, her dark blue hair flowing down her back. She was deep in thought, her eyes closed. "It has been several days

since we have had contact with them. What has Kayura learned about their situation?" 

As if reading his thoughts, Lady Kayura said, "Sekhmet, the Ronin Warriors need your help." 

"What has happened to them, Kayura?" he asked. She rose from the floor and walked to him, but didn't respond. "What could it be?" he wondered, noticing the tears forming

in her eyes. 

"It's Ro...Rowen," she began struggling to control her voice. "Cyboth has taken control of him again." 

"What must I do?" he inquired, uncertain if there was any way he could aid the Ronin Warriors. He had seen Rowen's new power. 

"Form the Armor of Inferno with Wildfire, Torrent, Hardrock, and Halo. Its power should allow you to break Cyboth's spell. Step into the light of the Ancient's staff and I will

send you to them," answered Kayura. 

"Aren't you coming with me?" he asked. 

"No. I must stay and prevent the Dynasty from invading the Mortal World," she replied, as the rings on the staff began to shake. A moment later, Sekhmet found himself on

earth. He could hear sounds of a battle nearby and he ran toward them, staying close to a thicket of trees in order to avoid detection. As the woods thinned, he slowed and

took a few moments to determine his next move. "I trust Kayura's judgment in using the Armor of Inferno to free Strata, but will we get the chance? What I have seen of his

power is absolutely phenomenal and I know he has yet to reveal the full extent of it. Rowen may destroy us before we can act." He pushed aside the branches that still blocked

his path in order to get a better view of the battle field. Despite the fact that Kayura had told him about Rowen, a look of disbelief crossed his face as he watched the Warrior

of Strata mercilessly attack his friends. Ryo and Cye were lying on the ground, struggling to stand, but Rowen's powerful kicks continued to menace their aching bodies. In

front of them stood Sage and Kento, trying in vain to block his blows, and a s a result were taking the brunt of the attack. 

"You should be more worried about saving yourselves," said Rowen. Kento nearly spat back a harsh retort, but controlled his anger as he remembered his true opponent. "I

know you're trying to fight Cyboth's power, Rowen. Don't give up! We'll find a way to free you!" he thought as he dodged Rowen's fist. Out of the corner of his eye, Kento

saw the sky-blue of Cye's Armor of Torrent, reaching toward him. "Cye!" he thought quickly glancing at his friend. 

Their eyes met for only an instant, but Kento could see the desperate look in his face, pleading, "Try not to hurt Rowen!" 

"I'm trying Cye. I really... uh!" his voice rose from a whisper to a loud moan. 

"Kento!" he could barely hear Cye and Ryo shout. The pain in his body was so intense that it deadened his other senses. He felt his legs crumbling and threw out a hand to

stabilize himself, but it wasn't enough. Kento looked up to see Rowen, looming over him. 

"I told you to protect yourself, but you didn't listen. Now you'll have to pay the price," said Rowen, drilling another kick into Kento. He turned away from the fallen warrior and

faced Sage. "Now it's just you and me." 

"Oh god! No!" thought Sage as Rowen moved in on him. The moment he had been dreading during the entire battle had arrived. "I can't do this. Rowen, if I hurt you, I'm

sorry." The Warrior of Halo raised his no-datchi, but more in defense than to attack. His sword felt unusually heavy, and he could feel it wavering slightly in his grip. 

"You're afraid of me," said Rowen, a wicked grin spreading across his face, as he noticed Sage's agitated nature. 

"No! I'm not scared!" lied Sage, but his retort was only half-hearted. 

"Then fight me! Go ahead, try a Thunderbolt Cut!" taunted Rowen. Sage said nothing, but avoided his eyes. "If you're just going to sit there, then allow me." Rowen as he leapt

into the air, pulling his arm back to strike. Sage hesitantly thrust his blade forward to meet the attack, but Rowen easily knocked it out of his hands. 

Sage gasped as he watched his sword fall to the ground. 

"You are so pathetic!" said Rowen coldly. Sage blinked, and looked up. Although Rowen's fist was only a few inches from his face, it hadn't made contact. 

"He didn't hit me, even though he had the chance. Could it be? Is Rowen still with us?" wondered Sage, searching Rowen's deep blue eyes for an answer. He tried to picture

the horrific battle in his mind, trying to find some clue. Sage could see the beginning when Rowen had been on their side. The Ronin of Air had skillfully attacked countless

Dynasty soldiers, landing every punch and kick. With each attack, a flash of energy burst from his body, destroying the warriors with startling efficiency. Then, it had happened,

Rowen turned on his friends. But Sage had felt something different, something he hadn't felt the first time Cyboth took control of Rowen. "I can feel Rowen trying... trying to

resist, but he can't. He's been able to keep Cyboth from using his full power against us, but can't break free." 

"Are you just going to stand there all day?" asked Rowen. 

Sage ignored him and said,"Rowen, listen to me! I don't want to hurt you. Let me help you. Cyboth is using you. He only wants the power of your armor!" 

"Lies!" shouted Rowen. 

"Rowen! Listen to Sage!" implored Ryo as he slowly rose to his feet. 

"Rowen, I only want to help. Aaahhh!" moaned Sage as Rowen pounded his fist into Sage's armor. Rowen watched for a moment as Sage bent over, clutching his chest, in

agony. Despite the pain, he managed to remain standing, and looked at Rowen. For a second, Sage could have sworn that he saw a look of sorrow in Rowen's eyes, but his

best friend suddenly returned to his lethal self. 

"I don't need your help!" scoffed Rowen. "It's time for me to kill you all. Armor of Strata! Dao Inochi!" 

"It's now or never," thought Sekhmet, as he rushed to Ryo, Kento, Cye, and Sage. "Listen to me, Ronin Warriors!" he shouted. 

Mia turned to see the Warlord of Venom, already in his green and red armor and exclaimed, "Sekhmet!" 

Ryo winced in pain as he turned around, but managed to ask, "What brings you here?" 

"Never mind that! We must act quickly. Ryo, form the Inferno!" he yelled. 

"Why? We can't use it to hurt Rowen!" protested Ryo. 

"Not to attack Rowen, but free him! We can use the White Armor of Inferno to break Cyboth's control," explained Sekhmet. 

"I'm not so sure about this," said Ryo doubtfully. 

"It might work, Ryo! Even Talpa couldn't corrupt the Armor of Inferno!" called Mia. 

"Besides, what do we have to lose?" argued Cye. 

"We're running out of time, Wildfire!" urged Sekhmet, nervously eyeing the golden arrow Rowen was drawing from his quiver. 

"I just don't know what to do! I can't hurt Rowen, but I'm doing him no good by just sitting here. If we don't do something, we might get killed before we can stop the Dynasty.

We have no choice. We've got to form the Inferno. Rowen, I'm sorry if you get hurt by this, but I don't know how else to save you." thought Ryo. "All right guys. Let's do it!"

he relented. The armors of Cye, Kento, Sage, and Sekhmet began to grow brightly as Ryo prepared to take their powers. 

"Trust!" 

"Justice!" 

"Wisdom!" 

"Piety!" he could hear his friends call as their energies approached. Mia and Yuli watched uneasily as a ball of blue light, then an orange one, followed by a green sphere, and

finally Sekhmet's power surrounded the Ronin of Wildfire's body. He winced in pain as their energies fused into his body. A blinding flash of white light filled the air and when it

cleared, there stood Ryo in the Armor of Inferno. "Rowen, come back to us, please," he said to himself as he sent the power of the white armor to Rowen. 

"That trick won't work on me," said Rowen as he fired an arrow. Ryo saw it approaching but ignored it, focusing his thoughts on guiding the Armor of Inferno to his friend. 

"Ah! What is that?" cried Ryo as he felt something slicing into his armor. Suddenly he felt the energies of the other Ronin Warriors leaving his own. "No!" he screamed, realizing

that they had failed. 

Cyboth reappeared by Rowen's side, laughing triumphantly. "Very good, Prince Rowen. Now eliminate them, but before you do, show them your true power," he said. 

"Yes, my lord. Armor of the Heavens!" he called. A brilliant flash of blue light burst from Rowen's body. Bolts of blue lightning streaked from the clouds and crackled loudly as

it flowed across the Warrior of Strata. Once it had enveloped his armor, its form seemed to melt into a slightly different one. The bulky pieces of metal on his shoulders, had

become more sleek, fitting his form, and extended slightly off his body. The chestplate had changed in appearance as well. It was larger, and both blue and white. The light blue

edges had turned white. The helmet had retained its shape, but the horns were silver. Rowen's was still armed with a bow and arrow, but these too were silver. Rowen slowly

opened his eyes, raised his bow, and aimed an arrow at Ryo, Cye, Kento, Sage, Mia, Yuli, and Sekhmet. 

"Rowen!" cried Cye. 

"Stop Rowen! Why won't he listen, Mia?" protested Yuli, burying his face in her blue skirt. She didn't answer, but drew him closer. 

"I can't believe it's over," whispered Ryo. 

"Finish them!" ordered Cyboth. 

"Never!" retorted Rowen, suddenly turning on the Emperor of the Dynasty. 

"What is this?" shouted Cyboth. 

Rowen answered with a shot from his bow. 

"No!" yelled Cyboth as the silver arrow cut into his black form, leaving a streak of white light in its path. A large explosion rang out and beams of white light emanated from the

dark fog. Cyboth groaned as the energy began attacking him. Finally, Rowen's power overcame Cyboth's and the evil lord of the Nether World vanished. Rowen turned

around and gently floated down to his friends. Tears fell from his eyes as he felt their warm embrace. 

"Rowen, you're free. You're finally free," smiled Ryo, but Rowen shook his head sadly. 

"What's wrong, Rowen?" asked Cye. 

"He'll be back for me," replied Rowen. 


	6. Chapter 6

Return of Rowen

Chapter 6

By Rowen

The ante room was a sea of darkness. The blackness cloaked the entire chamber, only allowing the faint outline of a figure to penetrate its murky depths. Two spheres of red

light momentarily flared to life, illuminating the form, revealing Talpa' sinister gray armor, every plate seemingly crafted to serve evil. His face was composed of jagged metal,

giving it a menacing appearance. A mysterious skull gaped from his chestplate, as six long blades spanned his back, rising threateningly into the air. While the armor forming his

lower body was less ornate, the length and thickness of his legs told of the demon's immense power. His heavy footsteps resounded against the walls as he moved deeper into

the room. 

"Such and incredible power! I now understand your interest in capturing Rowen of the Strata. Possessing the Armor of the Heavens will make one invincible," proclaimed

Talpa. 

"And you shall have it," a voice whispered into his ear before breaking into evil, high-pitched laughter that filled the air. 

"Badamon! Show yourself!" he growled, causing an eerie green flame to rise from one of the altars at the back of the room. Trails of smoke spiraled upward and slowly

melded into the Lord of the Netherspirits' shape. 

"What brings you here?" demanded Talpa. 

"It is time for us to strike, my lord. We have been presented with an opportunity to seize the Armor of the Heavens," he answered. 

"Explain," he commanded. 

"Cyboth is weak from his battle with Strata and has become impatient for victory. He wishes for you to join him in battle against the Ronin Warriors. You shall destroy Ryo of

the Wildfire, Sage of the Halo, Cye of the Torrent, and Kento of Hardrock, while Cyboth captures Prince Rowen," he said. 

"You fool! Fighting for Cyboth will not bring me any closer to obtaining Strata's armor!" he roared. 

"Master, have patience. I have yet to inform you of the entire plan," said Badamon. Talpa's white hair billowed from under his helmet, whipping violently around his face, as his

red eyes blared ominously. However, he remained silent and Badamon continued. 

"My lord, Cyboth has ordered me to restore the Dynasty's control over Strata. I have something else planned for the Warrior of Life. In my hands he will meet his doom and

his armor will be yours." 

"Excellent. You may proceed, but do not fail me, Badamon," he warned. 

"I shall succeed my lord. Now go. Cyboth awaits you," he assured and vanished, leaving Talpa alone in the chamber. For a moment he stood in place, his mind visualizing

victory. 

"Talpa," boomed a deep voice, interrupting his thoughts. His jaw dropped open slightly as he turned to find the imposing figure of his master looming over him. The plates of his

armor clanked against each other as he kneeled before Cyboth. 

"Emperor," 

"Rise my faithful warrior. I have important matters to discuss with you," said Cyboth. 

"Your strategy for defeating the Ronin Warriors, I presume," started Talpa as he stood. 

"Yes. Come with me," he ordered. 

"As you wish, my lord," he replied. 

Hikara Sugiyama sighed as she wearily eyed the lights of Osaka sparkling in the night sky outside her office. It had been another week of intense research with nothing to show

for her efforts. "What am I doing wrong? I haven't obtained any meaningful data for the past two weeks," she thought, absent-mindedly tapping her fingers against her desk, in

time with the rhythmic flashes coming from planes headed toward Kansai International Airport. "Things were going so well the first six months. How could things have turned so

quickly?" 

"Hikara," called a voice interrupting her from her thoughts. 

"H...hi Dr. Hashiba," stammered Hikara, as she turned to find her mentor standing behind her. 

"Is something wrong, Hikara?" he asked, a look of worry crossing his brow. 

"It's nothing really. I‚m just troubled by the fact that I haven't made much progress in the laboratory these past couple of weeks," she replied. 

"Don't let it bother you too much. It happens to everybody," he said comfortingly. She slowly nodded her head, but a sullen look remained in her green eyes. 

Genichirou smiled at his student, placed a hand on her shoulder and continued. "Why don't you take a few days off? Taking a short break won‚'t interfere with your studies too

much, and the time away from your experiments will allow you to relax." 

"Maybe you're right," said Hikara, as she rose from her chair and began to file a stack of papers on her desk. She paused for a moment and turned to him. "I'll think about it,

Dr. Hashiba, and if you don't see me tomorrow, you'll know what I've decided." 

"All right. Well, I should be getting back to work. If you need anything or want to talk about anything, I'll be in the lab," he said. 

"I will," she assured. "Goodnight, Dr. Hashiba." 

"Goodnight, Hikara," he replied as he closed her office door. He started walking down the hall, but stopped after a few steps. "Something's not right. I can't place it, but...Huh?

Is someone following me?" he wondered, whirling around to see if he was being pursued. 

He was alone. "I'm probably just imagining things." Then it the feelings of dread hit him again, only stronger. His fear turned to pain as vivid images began racing through his

mind. He could see a blue-haired boy that looked somewhat like his son... No, it was Rowen. The short, wild, sapphire hair, that pale ivory skin, and those intense blue

eyes-he would know his son's face no matter when or where he saw it. Genichirou gasped in horror as he watched demons ravage Rowen's body with their dark energy, and

could feel the torment in his soul as they attempted to possess him. Suddenly, everything stopped. His chest was heaving, and his heart was pounding furiously, but he was still

in the corridor, just outside Hikara's office. 

Mia sighed as she gently closed the bedroom door behind her. It had taken almost two hours, but she had finally convinced Yuli to go to sleep. The Ronins had been planning

on taking some time alone to talk about the recent turn of events, but he had wanted to participate in the discussion. She could still hear his voice in her head, begging Ryo to

let him stay, whining in protest as she dragged him up to his bedroom, and bombarding her with questions about the Ronins as she tucked him into bed. Although Mia knew

that it was best for Ryo, Kento, Cye, Sage, and Rowen to be left alone while they talked about their last battle, she could not help, but feel a twinge of guilt at keeping Yuli

away from his five best friends. "He's always trying to help them, but sometimes he gets in the way... Not that he does it intentionally, but it happens," she thought, trying to

calm her guilty conscience as she descended the stairs of the Koji mansion. 

"Finally got him to go to sleep?" asked Ryo, as he looked up to see Mia walking into the living room. 

"Yes," replied Mia, as she sat down next to him. "It took longer than I expected. I'm sorry I kept you all waiting so long." 

"It's all right, Mia. We've kept ourselves entertained with the U.S. Open Men's Championship," said Cye. 

"I see. So who is winning, Rowen?" she inquired, causing the others to turn their attention to him. However, he remained silent, his deep blue eyes glued to the television. 

Sage had felt something was wrong after the first set of the tennis match. When Rowen watched tennis, he was usually intently focused, taking note of the angle of the racquet

chosen while attempting a drop volley, the placement of the ball during serve, and the strategies employed in selecting shots. "A serious student of the game.... Always an eye

on improvement..." was how his father had described his best friend's dissection of the smallest details of the game. Today was different. Rowen had been watching the match

with little interest, gazing blankly at the screen, despite the fact that Pete Sampras, his favorite player was playing for the title. It did not matter that Marat Safin was whipping

the American great into submission. Rowen's studious manner of a tennis match remained intact until it was completed, regardless of what was happening to the players he

admired. Something much deeper was bothering him, but Sage could not determine what it was. "I know something's not right, Rowen. What is it?" he wondered. 

"Nice forehand by Safin... a little high, but still a nice shot. Sampras counters with a cross-court forehand down the line. Absolutely beautiful! Sampras has broken Safin for the

first time in the match!" blared the commentator. As if to celebrate, Rowen suddenly rose from the floor, muttering something under his breath. 

"Damn? Why do you say that, Rowen? I thought you wanted Sampras to win," said Kento with a quizzical expression on his face. 

"What is it, Rowen?" asked Cye, simultaneously. 

"No... I said dad," Rowen replied, shaking his head. "He's in danger. I have to go save him." His friends watched in bewilderment as a deep blue glow began emanating from

the Ronin of Life. The light intensified, and spread first across his torso, followed by his legs, finally encapsulating his body in a bubble. It rose from the ground and toward the

ceiling. Seconds later he disappeared. 

As Ryo, Sage, Kento, Cye, and Mia slowly recovered from their shock at Rowen's sudden action, a voice from upstairs cried "Hey everybody! Look outside!" 

Mia rushed over to a window just in time to catch a glimpse of the blue sphere streaking through the sky toward Toyoma. "Well, that's one time I can be thankful Yuli didn't fall

asleep when I put him to bed," she thought to herself. 

"Rowen's headed for the city!" exclaimed Yuli as he tore down the stairs. "What is he doing guys? Why aren't you going with him?" 

"Well for starters, he took us by surprise," answered Cye. 

"But don't you worry Yuli, we'll be going after him pretty soon," added Ryo. 

"Wait a minute.... Why Toyoma?" wondered Sage. "Rowen's dad lives in Osaka. Not Toyoma. Rowen could be falling into a Dynasty trap. We can't just follow him without

some sort of plan." 

Kento shook his head at Sage's idea. "No, we can't just sit here and do nothing. We need to follow Rowen so we can be there to help him if it is a Dynasty trap." 

"Right. If we lose track of Rowen now, we might not be able to get to him before the Dynasty does," agreed Cye. 

Sage sighed in defeat. Although he did not like rushing into a situation without formulating a course of action, the bearer of Halo knew that his friends were making a valid

argument. "Yeah... I guess you guys are right." 

"Then it's settled. Let's go," said Ryo, standing from his seat on the couch. A flash of red light covered his body as he donned his sub-armor. Kento, Cye, and Sage followed

suit, and followed Mia and Yuli outside. 

"Can you still see him?" asked Mia as she began backing her jeep out of the driveway. 

"Barely. All I can see is a really faint outline of his bubble. It's only a matter of seconds before we won't be able to see him." replied Sage. He closed his eyes, trying to clear his

mind of all thoughts. As he concentrated his thoughts on the tiny speck of blue cruising through the night sky, the image grew more vivid. He could see Rowen standing inside

the dark blue sphere of energy. His best friend wore a calm expression despite the urgent manner in which he had acted earlier. Sage let the image of his best friend's face slide

out of focus and shifted his attention to the path of his flight. Having determined Rowen's destination he opened his eyes. "He's headed for city hall, Mia." 

"How do you know?" inquired Ryo. 

"It's hard to explain," started Sage, but was cut off by the loud screech of the jeep's brakes. The jeep swerved violently off the road, throwing him against Kento. The Warrior

of Light rubbed his head gingerly, as he looked outside to see what had caused Mia to make such a sudden stop. 

"No way," he heard Ryo whisper as he turned from his window to the windshield. Standing in the middle of the road was Talpa. 

"He's here," thought Rowen as he landed on the roof of Toyoma's city hall. 

"I've been expecting you, my son," called his father's voice. 

He felt a lump in his throat as he saw the figure of his father. His arms were extended toward him as if to invite him into a father's warm embrace. His eyes were warm and

moist with tears and seemed to speak of a father's longing to be with his son. Then, there was that look. The look which spoke of a father's pride in his son. It was there right in

front of him : the father he had longed for his entire life. His mind told him it was real, and he listened to it. However, in his heart, Rowen knew it was all just a mere illusion. It

knew the way his father really felt about him, but his mind pushed him closer and closer to him. "It's not real!" protested his heart as he took step after step. 

"It is real!" countered his mind. 

"It's only an illusion" his heart boomed, as Rowen moved within inches of the figure's hands. Rowen felt his hands shaking as he tried to raise them. 

"Go on, Rowen. All you have to do is touch him, and your dream will come true," urged his mind. Rowen looked at the figure standing before him again, but saw Cyboth

instead of his father. 

"Father?" whispered Rowen. 

"Yes, Prince Rowen. I am your father," replied the figure. 

"No... you're not my father," replied Rowen, shaking his head as he slowly backed away from it. Suddenly, everything was becoming clear. "It was all an illusion... but... why

am I not falling for it any more? I guess I can figure that out later. I've had enough of Cyboth's games," he thought. 

"Well, now that you've managed to see through my little scheme, let's move onto the business at hand, shall we?" asked Cyboth. 

"What do you want from me?" demanded Rowen. 

"Let's just say that there was a point to the exercise I put you through. I wanted to test your powers as well as your loyalty to your loved ones... particularly those that seem to

care nothing for you," he answered. 

"Test my powers? For what? You already know what I can do," he scoffed. "And what does all of this have to do with my dad?" 

"On the contrary, Prince Rowen. Your abilities are far greater than you know, and you will use them to serve the Dynasty. As for your father... I would like to make a little

bargain with you," replied Cyboth. 

Rowen shook his head. "No. I don't make deals with anyone from the Dynasty." 

"Oh, I'm sure this will be an offer you can't refuse, Strata," countered the emperor of the Dynasty. With a wave of his hand, Genichirou Hashiba appeared beside him. 

"Dad!" cried Rowen, as his father kneeled before Cyboth. "Let him go!" 

"Are you willing to pay the price for your father's freedom?" he asked, a smug expression on his face. 

"Yes. Anything. Just let him go!" pleaded Rowen. Cyboth laughed sinisterly at his desperation. He was going to surrender without a struggle, just as he had planned. 

"Very well, then. Join me, and I will free your father," he said. 

Rowen started to move toward Cyboth, but stopped after a few steps, puzzled at the sight before him. The man that appeared to be his father was now Cyboth, while

Cyboth's form had transformed into that of his father. They were one and the same. "Who is my father? Is it Cyboth? Or the man I came here to save?" he wondered. 

Cyboth smirked at the warrior's confusion. The dark emperor knew that the Ronin of Life was unfailingly loyal to those his friends and family. As a result he had spent hours,

corrupting every single emotion and event he had ever experienced into some twisted version of the truth, in hopes that those ties would become blurred. He had succeeded.

The warrior's indecision was evidence that his loyalties were no longer limited to his loved ones, but included the Dynasty as well. However, now, Cyboth needed Rowen's

feelings for his father to push him to the dark side. "Have you made your choice, Prince Rowen?" he asked. 

"I....I..." started Rowen. 

"Perhaps this will help you make up your mind," said Cyboth. The bearer of Strata could only watch in horror as the ruler of the Dynasty drew a sword and placed it against his

father's neck. "Join me, or your father will die." 

"No!" gasped Rowen. He had no other choice. He could not let his father die. "Forgive me, my friends," he whispered as he approached the emperor of the Dynasty. 

"Welcome home, Prince Rowen," greeted Cyboth, as the fallen warrior kneeled before him. 


End file.
